Dark-Energy Users

"Wife, we have a guest in the house," Li Banfeng called out, tossing Chu Zikai into the main room. "Keep an eye on him for me. I still have some business to finish, and I'll interrogate him slowly once I'm back." His wife chuckled softly. "Go and return quickly, husband. I'll start trimming the greens for you first." Li Banfeng returned to the side hall of the dance hall and tested once more with the alms bowl, but received no response at all. Just what trick had that blond elder used to escape? He would have to look into it thoroughly going forward. The next time they met, he definitely could not let the man leave alive. There was no more time to waste. Carrying Shui Yongquan on his back, Li Banfeng left Yanlou Village and sprinted straight to Huahu Park, then through the newland all the way to Qiqiu City. Qiu Luoye was having a meal when he saw Shui Yongquan, and the pumpkin in his hand fell to the ground. "Old Shui..." Qiu Luoye stepped over and stared at Shui Yongquan for a long while. "Say something, Old Shui." "He can't speak for now." Li Banfeng told Qiu Luoye everything that had happened to Shui Yongquan. Originally, he had wanted to settle Shui Yongquan in Sleepless Town. But Sleepless Town had just been seized, its foundations were still unsteady, and Feng Daiku and Ma the Fifth could only offer so much help. Ma the Fifth had his own newland to manage, while Feng Daiku had to look after Kudaikan and Qishuiyao. The only person left who could truly take care of Shui Yongquan was Qiu Luoye. "Old Seven, leave him with me. Whether he can recover or not, I promise I won't let him suffer," Qiu Luoye said with a sigh. "Old Shui spent his whole life being cautious. Who could have imagined he'd end up like this?" "Brother Qiu, people from Xuehuapu have their eyes on him, and they might come looking for trouble during this period. Be extremely vigilant." "Let them come!" Qiu Luoye called for Tiger to prepare a house for Shui Yongquan. "It's been a while since I loosened my bones, and my shoulders are itching for a fight. They send one, I kill one!" Li Banfeng took a walk around Qiqiu City. On Junyang Avenue, two new restaurants had opened. Freshly built, their dishes were cheap, and not an empty seat was in sight. A place called the Qiye Pavilion had also opened along the street. In truth, it was merely a dance hall. Ma the Fifth had insisted on picking such an educated name, but not many people recognized the character *xuan*, so everyone misread it as 'Seven Nights Bang.' Supposedly, anyone who could battle there for seven nights straight would receive a red envelope from the establishment. Li Banfeng felt a slight twinge of dissatisfaction toward the pavilion's name, but the transformation of Qiqiu City pleased him greatly. A newland once blanketed in wilderness, combined with a lifeless small town, had finally begun taking the shape of a city after all their devoted efforts. Returning to his own compound, he hid his key and entered the companion dwelling. Chu Zikai's demeanor had become far humbler. Hong Ying had helped untangle his flesh and bone, while the gramophone had straightened out his meridians, making conversation between them considerably smoother. Li Banfeng asked, "Your Xuehuapu has been giving me trouble nonstop. Can you explain why?" Chu Zikai shook his head. "My standing in Xuehuapu isn't high, and I don't know much about your affairs. If you ask me about the Ferry Gang, though, I can tell you more." "The Ferry Gang is Xuehuapu's branch in the Outer States, isn't it?" "You can't say that. The Ferry Gang doesn't belong entirely to Xuehuapu. It's an organization jointly founded by Xuehuapu and the Birch Hermitage." "What's the background of the Birch Hermitage?" "The Birch Hermitage is somewhat similar to the Light Chasing Society. Both are foreign organizations of dark-energy users. Comparatively speaking, the combat strength of the Light Chasing Society is much clearer." "What do you mean by clear? Is the Birch Hermitage's combat strength not clear?" Chu Zikai shook his head. "It truly isn't clear. They have no fixed pathways and no definite tiers, making it hard to measure their fighting capabilities by any standard benchmark. Members of the Light Chasing Society can be estimated and compared using our standards. I know a bishop from the Light Chasing Society whose combat power is equivalent to a tier-six dark-energy user. But outside the Light Chasing Society, the combat strength of other personnel is very hard to gauge. The man who fought alongside me earlier—his name is Migelov, and he's the head of the Birch Hermitage. He's skilled at constructing buildings and adept at locating hidden spaces. Comparing those two abilities alone, his strength could be reckoned as a tier-three cultivator above the clouds. Yet he was once beaten completely helpless by a tier-seven Martial Cultivator and nearly lost his life. That can't be explained by simple pathway counters. His overall abilities have severe shortcomings, to the point that his practical combat strength can't be estimated using the tiers we're familiar with. People like that are everywhere in the Birch Hermitage. I once met a member of theirs who could set up a special ritual array using herbs and animal blood. Once activated, the array could destroy several hectares of surrounding buildings. But setting up the array took him three days or even longer, and aside from laying arrays, he had no other skills. For someone like that, their combat strength is clearly undefined." Li Banfeng asked, "Why did Xuehuapu and the Birch Hermitage join forces to establish the Ferry Gang?" "For money!" Chu Zikai's answer was blunt. "Both Xuehuapu and the Birch Hermitage ran into severe financial troubles. During my fight with you today, I didn't use any dark-energy carriers because I had already sold off all the suitable ones." Li Banfeng frowned. "Broke to that extent?" "I'm not even considered poor; at least I can maintain a glamorous life on the surface. There are people in Xuehuapu poorer than me, unable to even secure food and clothing." Li Banfeng found it hard to believe. "Isn't that an exaggeration? Wang Zimian is one of yours too, and his lifestyle is still extravagant. Just one of his thumb rings was worth more than two factories." Chu Zikai gave a bitter smile. "I can only say that everyone's pursuits are different, and everyone's loyalty to Xuehuapu differs. I'm willing to contribute everything I have. Even if I have to eat boxed lunches and sleep under bridges tomorrow, I'll do so gladly." Li Banfeng chuckled. "Have you ever slept under a bridge?" Chu Zikai shook his head. "It was just a metaphor to express my loyalty to Xuehuapu." "I still don't understand. Xuehuapu mints the currency for all of Puluo Province. From any perspective, you shouldn't be short on money." Chu Zikai asked in return, "Do you know what the quantity theory of money is? Do you know what the demand for money is? Do you know the equation of exchange?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I truly know nothing about that." Chu Zikai said, "I don't understand it either. I only know that money cannot be minted recklessly; it has to follow economic laws. Xuehuapu's financial state cannot be salvaged by minting coins. It has to be saved by members like us." Li Banfeng said, "So you didn't hesitate to spend your fortune and sell off the magical artifacts and spiritual relics you carried?" "Not all of those were magical artifacts and spiritual relics," Chu Zikai said without elaborating further. "This is my loyalty to Xuehuapu—loyalty without grievance or regret." "What did Xuehuapu ever give you to earn such loyalty?" Chu Zikai asked, "Do you know my past?" "I've read some things online. Supposedly, you were born into an ordinary working-class family and achieved your success in the music industry through your own efforts." Chu Zikai said, "Half-right. My parents really were ordinary workers. They did everything they could to put me through music studies, but I failed the conservatory entrance exam three times in a row. I thought it was because I lacked talent, but only later did I learn that before the exams, I had missed out on a prep class. The fee for just a single lesson of that class made my father tremble from head to toe. I attended ten lessons in total, learned practically nothing, but gained a master. With that master, I successfully entered the conservatory. After graduating, I worked at a music company. It wasn't big, and I did all sorts of jobs, but every time I suggested I wanted to sing, I was rejected. They told me my voice lacked texture. So I went to the black market, bought a guide agent, and became a Singer. When I sang before them, they still said my texture was lacking. Even when I used my skills, they still said I wasn't good enough. I started doubting the entire thing—was the song bad, was I bad, or had the company simply decided I wouldn't do? So I sought out a friend, someone even more miserable than me. He was very talented and had written the song *I Am Your Guokui*. To pay the next month's rent, he sold the song to me for three thousand yuan. I hired people to make an accompaniment, recorded the single, and released it within a small online circle. The people in that circle had some musical literacy; they could tell it was a good song. With their recognition, I felt I was enough." Li Banfeng frowned. "What does that have to do with Xuehuapu?" "Everything!" Chu Zikai said. "In that small circle, there was a member of Xuehuapu. He declared that it was an exceptional song. He was willing to put up money to fund my marketing. I understood that process; it was very simple, but it burned cash. Cash burned like paper. I couldn't afford that, but he said he would shoulder it for me. He promised to push me to the top of the charts, with only one condition: that I join Xuehuapu." "Did you know what Xuehuapu did back then?" "No, and I didn't care to know. I agreed. To me at the time, the opportunity was far too rare, and I had nothing to lose. That man honored his promise and put me at the top of the charts. I became famous. I had my first album, held my first solo concert, experienced glory I'd never known in my life, met people I'd never dared dream of associating with, and attained wealth beyond my wildest imagination. But pop music is like that. The popularity of *Guokui* lasted for a while, then gradually faded. People still remembered my name, waiting for my new songs, but I couldn't produce any better work. I hadn't written *Guokui*, and I couldn't write anything better because I realized I was never good at composing." Li Banfeng said, "Then find someone who is. What about the one who wrote *Guokui* for you? Pay him more, and he'd surely have good songs to sell you." Chu Zikai shook his head. "He went back north. In the winter, having no money for coal, he froze to death hugging his guitar. Yet Xuehuapu didn't abandon me. They hired numerous lyricists and composers, trying every way to maintain my popularity. At the same time, they offered me a new path. They wanted me to become an outstanding cultivator—not a dark-energy user, but a true cultivator." Li Banfeng froze. "What difference is there?" Chu Zikai said, "A world of difference. You don't actually think a Stroller is the same as a Travel Cultivator, do you? Do you really believe a Singer is a Sound Cultivator?" "Aren't they?" Li Banfeng found it bizarre. Identical in essence, differing only in name; dark-energy user and cultivator were merely divergent terms between Puluo Province and the Outer States. That was common knowledge. Chu Zikai chuckled. "Of course not. You've been in the Outer States for too short a time, and you don't understand the Outer States' dark-energy users deeply enough. Even at low tiers, a gap already appears between dark-energy users and cultivators. Test it a few times and you'll spot where the gap lies. The overall abilities of dark-energy users are far less well-rounded than those of cultivators. Once a certain tier is reached, dark-energy users hit a bottleneck and cannot advance any further. That bottleneck is typically tier seven. In the Outer States, people always say the limit of a dark-energy user is tier seven. You must have thought they were talking nonsense, but in fact, they were telling the truth." Li Banfeng glanced back at the gramophone. The gramophone remained silent, as she was unfamiliar with the Outer States as well. Chu Zikai said, "I know you're reluctant to believe me, but you can verify it yourself, and you'll find the answer soon enough. Dark-energy users are a product of Outer States technology. They tried to use Puluo Province's cultivation rules to manufacture an Outer States system of dark abilities. But the guide agents produced by the Outer States are far inferior to the Peddler's introductory powders; they're mere low-grade counterfeits. To become a true cultivator, one can only buy powder in Puluo Province. Aside from a few private hoards belonging to powerful families, the Peddler's powder is the sole correct pathway to initiate a cultivator." *A fundamental difference between Outer States dark-energy users and Puluo Province cultivators? Could this be the reason behind the Dark Star Bureau's deficiency in combat power?* "Where did the powders hoarded by those powerful families come from?" "Do you really want to know?" Chu Zikai stared intently at Li Banfeng. "Spare my life, and I'll tell you the truth. I can reveal many more truths you don't know." Li Banfeng chuckled. "Spinning a random lie and expecting to buy your life with it? Where in the world is anything that cheap?" "Don't believe it, then," Chu Zikai continued. "After becoming a Sound Cultivator, I stayed in Puluo Province for a time and learned a great deal of valuable knowledge. With Xuehuapu's help and through my connections in the Outer States, I pulled off quite a few deals." "What kind of deals?" "There were ghost servant transactions, as well as business in magical artifacts and weapons. I knew how to manage things, and I knew who to spend money on. I earned plenty of money for Xuehuapu, and Xuehuapu supplied me with large quantities of pills—pills with almost no side effects." Li Banfeng asked, "You mean with no pill toxins?" "To be precise, the pill toxins were negligible. Do you know where those pills came from?" Li Banfeng shook his head. Chu Zikai said, "From the Mystic Life Red Lotus. Xuehuapu once possessed the red lotus and left behind a massive stockpile of high-grade pills. It was precisely by relying on those high-grade pills that I accumulated enough cultivation to reach above the clouds in ten years. Now that the red lotus is in your hands, you ought to understand that process better than me." *Xuehuapu once possessed the red lotus? Was that true?* He could consult the red lotus to verify it, though the lotus might not be willing to tell the truth. According to official records, Chu Zikai was thirty-four years old this year, having risen to fame thirteen years ago. If his account was true, that pace of advancement was indeed remarkably swift, surpassing even the leading figures of the various great families in Puluo Province. Chu Zikai sighed. "Yet it was also during the years I devoted myself to cultivation that Xuehuapu's finances fell into crisis. That should be linked to the disappearance of the red lotus. Xuehuapu changed my life, so striving for Xuehuapu was my bounden duty. I exhausted my savings, doing everything to keep Xuehuapu running. To expand our scope of business further, I contacted Migelov and founded the Ferry Gang with him. Through him, I could take business abroad. I became a true Boat Boss, delivering valuable goods to every corner of the world." Looking at Chu Zikai's expression, Li Banfeng smiled. "You're very proud." "Isn't it something to be proud of? I maintain long-term contact with more than thirty foreign dark-ability organizations. Do you want information on them? Spare my life, and I can tell you all of it. I can even introduce them to you." Li Banfeng said, "Since your overseas business was so large, why didn't you sell Shui Yongquan abroad?" "Foreign psychics generally don't buy battle spirits from Puluo Province. The barrier to communication is just too great. Foreign dark-ability users value magical artifacts and spiritual relics more. I'm talking about artifacts and relics, not dark-energy carriers. Dark-energy carriers from the Outer States can't be compared with Puluo Province's artifacts and relics. You can't imagine how vast the profits are. As long as you choose to partner with me, you'll possess wealth beyond your imagination." "Beyond my imagination?" Li Banfeng patted Chu Zikai on the cheek. "How much money do you think that is?" Chu Zikai knew Li the Seventh wouldn't be swayed easily, but with his life on the line, he still had to try to persuade him. "I know you have deep roots in Puluo Province, but your vision is too narrow. You know nothing of what lies beyond Puluo Province. Let me out, and I can open the door to the entire world for you. You'll see the true impact dark energy has had on this world, and you'll discover where the pinnacle of power truly lies." Li Banfeng shook his head. "That's too far off. Let's talk about what's right in front of us instead. Where does Migelov live? I have business with him." "Are you afraid?" Chu Zikai offered a knowing smile. "You certainly should be. Migelov knows your identity, which means the entire Birch Hermitage knows your identity. They won't let you off. If you want to track Migelov's movements and take appropriate precautions, you still have to rely on me. I can keep in contact with Migelov, and I can act as your inside man using my status in the Ferry Gang. Rest assured, I've already done everything humanly possible for Xuehuapu. As long as you let me out, I will become your most loyal subordinate." Li Banfeng's brow furrowed slightly. "I asked you for Migelov's address. Why are you babbling so much?" Chu Zikai looked toward the door. "Let me out first. Once I'm outside, whatever you ask, I'll answer." Li Banfeng stood up. "So you don't feel like talking right now?" The gramophone moved to Li Banfeng's side, using a puff of warm steam to gently stroke his back. "Darling husband, don't be angry. You don't need to do something like this yourself. This humble servant knows what you wish to ask. Leave the rest to me. As long as it's something he knows, I will definitely pry it out. Why don't you go find a few friends for some drinks and relax a bit?" Li Banfeng stepped out of the companion dwelling. A wave of scalding steam coursed over Chu Zikai's body. Enduring the searing pain, Chu Zikai screamed, "Without me, Li the Seventh won't survive! The Birch Hermitage won't let him off, and neither will Xuehuapu! Just wait to collect his corpse!" The gramophone chuckled. "Oh, my ears have grown calluses from hearing that line. Yingying, teach him the manners of speaking." Hong Ying held a small knife and carved a gash across Chu Zikai's face. "Didn't I teach you proper etiquette earlier? Forgotten so soon?" "Release me! Let me leave this room, and only then will I tell you the truth!" Hong Ying drew another cut across his face. "Speaking requires following rules—there's an order of priorities. Start with that whatever-his-name-is-lov. Didn't Seventh Brother just ask you? Where does he live?" *** Li Banfeng did not linger in Qiqiu City. He returned immediately to Yuezhou and located Jin Shunying through Fourth Mother Yin. Jin Shunying was frightened out of her wits. She had originally planned to catch a flight out of Yuezhou the next day. Li Banfeng warned her, "Even if you leave Yuezhou, you might not necessarily evade the Birch Hermitage." Jin Shunying looked blank. "What is the Birch Hermitage?" Li Banfeng said, "I don't know much about the organization either. I've procured a travel pass for you. Go to Green Water City; someone will meet you at the station. Hide there for a few days first." Jin Shunying pondered for a long while before asking, "Which province is Green Water City in?" "Green Water City is in Puluo Province." "Puluo Province?" Jin Shunying was dumbfounded. She understood the concept of Puluo Province and had seen ghost servants originating from there, but the name was still vague to her. "It's a good place. Perhaps it can turn you into a true cultivator." "A cultivator? Isn't that just a dark-energy user?" Li Banfeng wasn't certain of the exact relationship between cultivators and dark-energy users either. "I'll explain that to you later. Pack your things quickly, and I'll see you off at the station." Once Jin Shunying packed her luggage, she followed Li Banfeng to Platform 96. The moment she saw the steam locomotive, Jin Shunying grew extremely tense. "Boss, are you planning to..." Li Banfeng checked the carriage number on the ticket. "I'm not trying to sell you, and I definitely won't harm you. Going to Puluo Province is definitely a good thing for you." "I know it's a good thing," Jin Shunying said, biting her lip with tears welling in her eyes. "B-but how much will this cost? Prices in Puluo Province aren't low, right? I really don't have much money on me..." Li Banfeng said with complete sincerity, "Room and board are on me, and I'll even pay you a salary. Get on the train." Wiping away her tears, Jin Shunying boarded the train with a smile full of longing. Nothing would happen on the train. The Birch Hermitage wouldn't dare make a move aboard; that crossed the Outer States' bottom line. Once she arrived in Green Water City, he would have Old Luo settle her in Xiaoyaowu. Li Banfeng truly doubted they would dare reach their hands into Xiaoyaowu. Returning to the Dark Star Bureau, Li Banfeng asked Tangyuan to help him look up materials on the Birch Hermitage. Tangyuan could only turn up a few files. "Seventh Master, I don't have much on the Birch Hermitage here. The records our bureau can dig up are very limited. But someone else has plenty of relevant materials, though I don't know if his sources are reliable." Li Banfeng paused. "You don't mean Zhong'er, do you?" Tangyuan nodded. "Him. He's particularly interested in organizations like that." Li Banfeng summoned Zhong'er over. The man truly had quite a few materials. "Starting from the early to mid-part of the last century, mentions of the Birch Hermitage already began appearing in some literary works. In the records of that era, they were called the Birch Gang, the Birch Sect, the White Birch Savage Faction, and the White Birch Savage Society." Li Banfeng asked, "How do you know those factions refer to the Birch Hermitage? Just because their names are related to birch trees?" "Not just the names. The relevant descriptions of those factions align completely with the traits of the Birch Hermitage. In that sort of literature, the corresponding factions were all composed of foreign savages, which was the term used by both common folk and officialdom at the time for foreigners—specifically referring to foreigners whose hair and skin colors differed from ours..." Zhong'er laid out the materials he had collected one by one for Li Banfeng, and Li Banfeng gradually pieced together the clues. "The Birch Hermitage has a wide influence," Zhong'er said, pulling out several case files. "In several cases involving dark-energy enthusiasts, the Birch Hermitage didn't show its face directly, but the enthusiast groups involved all had some connection to them, more or less. That includes the previous Chamomile Wizard Association." The Chamomile Wizard Association had smuggled Lu Dongjun out of the Inner States, nearly triggering a disaster and almost leading Li Banfeng into a trap. That matter was still left hanging. Li Banfeng collected the files and asked Zhong'er, "What tier have you reached now?" Zhong'er looked around, wary of surveillance devices in the area. Li Banfeng said, "With me, you don't need to worry about being overheard." Zhong'er lowered his voice. "Bureau Chief Li, I'm already at tier two and a half. I expect tier three isn't far off." Li Banfeng calculated the timeline. "Did you finish all the harmonizing agents the bureau issued to you?" "Not yet. I bought a bit more from the black market on my own." "You've got some nerve!" Li Banfeng chuckled. "Don't leave after work. I'll take you somewhere to test your cultivation." After work, Lightbulb drove, taking Li Banfeng and Zhong'er to the edge of a wild lake on the city outskirts. Li Banfeng picked up a smooth river pebble and said to Zhong'er, "Use this as a weapon and exchange a couple of moves with me." The pebble was entirely rounded, with no edges to be found, and wet and slick, making it very difficult to grip. Zhong'er studied it for a long while, then shook his head. "Bureau Chief Li, you've stumped me. This pebble really isn't suitable as a weapon." Li Banfeng grabbed a handful of mud from the lakeside and handed it to Zhong'er. "What about this?" Holding the mud, Zhong'er shook his head repeatedly. "This is even less suitable." Li Banfeng recalled their past experiences. "Back at Huayuan Residential Community, when you fought that roll of reed mats, you grabbed a roof tile at random and used it as a weapon." Zhong'er said, "A tile is different. It has edges, is easy to grip, and is sharp enough. It's a prime choice for a weapon." Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "Have you always been this picky about weapons?" Zhong'er didn't think anything was amiss. "Selecting a suitable object as a weapon is a mandatory lesson for a Brawler." *That isn't right.* *** PS: On this matter, Chu Zikai probably wasn't lying.